Where the Sky meets the Ocean
by Amalthea2
Summary: When diplomacy is tainted by cynical intentions and blurry details, Haruka ends up the victim of a "senshi exchange" of sorts. She is sent to Neptune for half a year to sustain peace, and she finds herself on edge. Will she and her arranged partner Michir
1. Depart Uranus

A warm wind carried the new days sunlight into the lofty bedroom, filling the sheer curtains hanging over the cut out windows and doors, billowing the sheets crowning the four-poster. The golden rays slowly mounting intensity as the sun drew nearer, washing over the limestone castle, carved right into the side of a stand of ancient mountains, wheat colored stone in the summer light, though in the winter the caps freeze over and mimic the color of the stars speckled across a crisp night sky. In the sky-kissed palace, in the amber drenched room, in the four-posted bed with gilded bed sheets lay a warrior. Lightly tanned flesh covered sleek muscles and experienced defense mechanisms, stretching and churning with the movements of the host.

Tossing and turning in an effort to awaken, only to flop back down and sigh in frustration, perhaps at the confusing dreams, could be at the soreness in her limbs, most likely at the cold empty space to her right. Finally she sat straight up and stared at it, willing it to be occupied by someone who cared for her, but despite all of her frivolous wishes on shooting stars, and visits to the tarot reader who said a lover was in store any day, it remained bare. Extra pillows with gold satin cases sat lifeless on that right side of the bed, a nightstand stood timeless and ready to receive a master, all of which the lonely woman cleaned and cared for day after day in the hope that there would be someone to use them.

Balling up her loneliness and chucking it into a sigh, she slipped out of bed and padded across the warm rock and lazy rugs to her dresser. Her favorite mat underfoot, the one with the dragon woven in navy and gold, she opened the large oaken cabinet and briefly scanned the inhabitants before pulling out some loose black bellbottoms and sun colored tunic. She stretched her arms up over her head and let out a lion-like yawn, and then rubbed the sleep from her eyes on her way to her own nightstand. A gold belt encrusted with topaz and onyx found its way around her middle, her neck became encircled by the Uranus sigil on a gilded chain, an earring and hair brushing later she was out on the balcony.

A summer breeze kissed her closed eyelids and grinning cheeks while she greeted the day with opened arms and glorious heart. Whatever work she had done on her short blonde hair was blown to pieces by the playful gale, whipping it around her ears, across her forehead, tickling the back of her neck. An odd bellow chimed in the distance, drawing her attention out across a sea of clouds. Sunlight slanted, reflecting, shimmering across nightshade scales, mingled beams of amber and lapis swooping on enormous wings. Ivory talon and indigo mane in flights refrain did glisten bellow rumbling again across the valley of cumulus.

Her face lit up with glee at the sight of her favorite dragon, and on impulse she brought her fingers to her lips and let out a shrill whistle. Upon hearing his mistress, the wyrm reared up, only to plunge beneath the cloud sheet, and after a few moments he emerged off to the left of the balcony. Haruka pounced up onto the railing, spread her arms out like wings, and closed her eyes as the free fall took her. Her entire gut lurched and churned from the motion while tears streamed from her tightly closed eyes, flowing into her swirling hair. The fabric of the tunic spilling out behind her, flared legs flapping against her bare feet. Kicking out of her bliss in time to grasp the shoulders of the drake and fasten her knees around his spine and straddling it tightly as he rocked forward for another nosedive.

A flurry of bubbles and ripples cascade outward from where she resurfaced in the pool. Droplets sprayed from her hair and lips, forming rivers of crystal clear running down the ridges in her skin, in the grooves of sleek muscle and ridges of her bones. With a quick stroke she was gliding on her back through the center of the pool to the eastern edge, smooth valleys in her wake. Upon reaching the marble edge, she hoisted herself out and onto the deck in one fluid pull and gracefully strode over to retrieve her sea colored robe off of a nearby boulder. With every step she could feel the planets pulse deep under the floor, a constant reminder of how far beneath the surface she was.

She walked silently through the dim lit halls, carved out of the subterranean rock, adorned with shells and paintings, with water dripping constantly from crystal coated stalagmites into ornately carved pillars to pool. They would fill up with the mineral rich water, which maids would collect and filter out to make salts for the bath and the kitchen. Occurring naturally in jade and amber colors, the droplets were augmented by the eerie teal florescent gems set into the walls for lighting. There were also lanterns mounted in between the larger jewels, but the overall light was very low at that level of the fortress.

As she walked up a few ramps, winding through the maze-like structure, the brightness became noticeable in comparison, and by the time she reached her room, only one level below the surface, it was about equivalent to a night full of moonshine and starlight on a snow covered plain. Which there were plenty of in other parts of Neptune, farther to the north there were great expanses of tundra mixed into the constant ocean, filled with perilous icebergs. To the south it was no warmer, but the swiftness of the deep currents kept the surface from forming sheets.

Because now there was enough light to see them, grand tapestries and paintings of watercolor decorated the corridors, depicting scenes of great adventures in the icy lands to the north, and miraculous journeys by sea. Sprawling murals of sea serpent slayers, unbelievable creatures discovered in the depths, beautiful maidens dancing for the ocean goddess. Having seen them so many times before, she only glanced before taking out a small silver key and unlocking the door to her chamber and shutting it on reaching the inside. Sighing as she slipped out of now soaking robe, and putting in a special cabinet set in the wall next to the hearth, which was always burning dull sea colored flame with the special oil harvested from the glands of sea serpents, which makes extremely long lasting fuel.

When still in the body of the beast it acts to retain heat, and will not ignite because the very scales and flesh of it act as a retardant. Shaking the water from her hair, she reached onto her dresser for a special beach plant extract to make it dry, and keep it strong. Michiru slipped into the customary robes of a priestess of the sea, and took her silver pentacle with a perfect pearl in the center out of the jewelry box. Looking in the mirror at her lonesome reflection, a lone tear strayed down her gentle cheekbones, curving to meet her jaw and dropping idly onto the warm stone as she fastened the amulet. Moving silently out the door and locking it behind, she headed down the lifeless hall toward the temple chamber.

The huge oak doors of the great chamber swung open, and in walked a pant wracked, sweat soaked Haruka. All of the eyes were fixed upon her adrenaline drenched form, shaking and begging for air she gave her most respectful bow, and stumbled down the golden carpet that led to her seat at the head of the room, to the right of the empress, who was to the right of the emperor. They were, however, not her parents, and she was no princess, but more a guardian of the planet, a third in command. Yet, she never desired power or authority, and her satisfaction never came from protecting or guiding the people, but serving the planet and working with her dragons. She simply wasn't a people person.

She did her very best to pay attention as the meeting was called to order, and the members of the council debated several mundane local issues, but she inevitably drifted off in a daydream. No longer was she seated in the vast council hall on Uranus, but flying with a dragon through the cosmos to a far off planet, simple and blue. Swirls of cloud coated the distant sphere, giving a feeling of movement and mystery. As she drew closer, great expanses of grayish ice came into view, and the lines of the blue ocean became more defined. Just as her dream spirit was entering the atmosphere, the empress snapped her attention back to the issue at hand, which of course had shifted since she was last listening. The empress just shook her head, and went on to repeat that several abrupt negotiations had taken place since the last meeting. To enforce the long standing alliance that had deteriorated over the last few decades, the High Priest of Neptune has proposed his finest disciple and Uranus's greatest warrior get to know each other, and hopefully become close friends.

It was arranged that Haruka be sent to the watery planet for the next half year, and in a display of trust, bring the priestess back to Uranus for the remainder of this year to reseal the bond between the two planets. Each would spend their time learning about the other's way of life, and report back to their council and so forth. The empress's explanation was minimal at best, as though there were a lot of details excluded and a handful of political reasons beyond what was said, but she didn't much care as long as it got her away from this place. She needed an adventure, an opportunity, and its true she was very excited about the idea but the magnitude of her situation had long to set in. Still in her dreamy daze, she asked with only moderate interest when she would be leaving for this journey of diplomacy, and this answer finally brought her into the light of reality.

Tonight, tonight she would be taken from her home and sent to an alien world, to befriend some crazy religious nut to appease her people. Her head was spinning with questions that had no answers, and confusion that couldn't be soothed. So little time, so little time to think, or act, or even breathe. She decided to focus on that for now. As her pulse began to lessen in its erratic struggle, she glanced around the room at all the stone cold faces of the council, twisted men with ancient faces and cynical ambitions, no consolation, pity, or concern of any kind was to be found on any one of them. The tapestries on the walls of dragons, and knights, and beautiful sunsets all turned to a dead dusty color in her eyes, cold and forsaken. Walls of empty stone and wind, lacking all substance, came to resemble her sunken heart, stomach churning, fear driving away all coherent thought, she still couldn't breathe and for several moments she thought about not even trying. But eventually reality came into full focus, and the excitement cancelled out some of the disbelief and anguish.

So she nodded her head, and they applauded in approval, and sent her off to pack her belongings. Dragging her feat and spirit down the airy hall back to her room, a few empty tears of confusion trailed down and fell behind her on the ripe peach carpet. Shivers racked her frail body as she walked in and sat on her bed, speechless, breathless, streaming tears of lifeless hate as she stared at the empty space in the bed that might never be filled. With every passing thought she grew paler, and she desperately tried to will herself up to begin packing, to distract herself, but her legs refused all logic she attempted to muster. As the minute passed, slowly but surely, a tiny fraction of a bit at a time the light was fading, and the end drew nearer to sucking her in.

Finally her mind and emotion shut down completely and raw instinct got her up to put her few belongings in the chest by the wall. It had been her fathers, before he was killed in a battle; they never really explained it at all, claiming she was too young to understand when she knew perfectly well she'd been lied to all along on the matter. They wanted to be rid of him, he was a threat to their comfort, they only kept her on the council to keep anyone else from suspecting the dead obvious. And now they were finally getting around to offing her as well, sending her away to some colony of human sacrificing priests, or maybe they aren't completely psycho and they just accidentally let her drown. Crazy nightmarish scenes of torture and death flashed across her eyes as she packed away her clothes in the chest, then she moved to get her mothers jewelry. She too, had mysteriously disappeared when Haruka was only seven. Sighing, and shaking her head vigorously to ward off the bad images, she moved to the locked drawer at the bottom of the dresser, and carefully inserted a small golden key.

Inside laid a sword, gilded and inlaid with crystals of wondrous luster, and the blade was sharp and flawless. It had been her father's most treasured heirloom, though he never got the chance to hand it down himself. She had discovered it in his bedroom, and kept it hidden from her foster royalty and their unforgiving minions. It was always very special to her, giving her great comfort and relief knowing that if the monsters beneath her bed ever decided to crawl out, she could run to the drawer to unveil its radiance, and scare them all away. This was the case several years ago; anyway, now she felt safe knowing that if any of the council members tried anything funny she could whip it out and slice them into bite sized shreds.

Every day since she realized her vulnerability, she trained with the saber in secret, practicing the dips and thrusts she observed the other soldiers using when play fighting. Swordplay and dragon riding were her two main defenses she kept tucked away for her parents murderers, but there were plenty of techniques she displayed out in the open, boxing with the off duty guards, exercising and meditating at all hours and all regions of the palace. Though theses displays were thought to support her civic duty, her career track was just a side thought. Her mind was on strength and vengeance, and it was this devotion that kept her opposition at bay for so long, but they had her pinned this time.

After admiring the artifact for several minutes, she sighed again and nestled it between the folds of her nightclothes. A layer of cloaks followed, then her collection of dragon claws and fangs, but as there were a great number of them she could only take those very most important to her, like the last baby tooth of her favorite drake, the one that caused her to be late to council. A sleek, sharp talon followed suit, one she had taken from a dragoness whose clutch was destroyed, and in her sadness she impaled herself upon the jagged mountainside. Her tail, menacing crimson and intricately shaped went also, and a beautiful jade colored scale that was discovered in a cave not far from hers. Most of the treasure discovered in a raid of the alpha males cave while he was away courting had to be left behind, but she took a number of old coins and her prized gold chain mail, which she had taken to be appraised at pawn shop deep in the lower city, and it was found to be worth five thousand silver pieces. But she had no use for the money, and decided to keep it as a trophy. Lastly of the dragon cash she took a vial of fine crystal, etched with a glorious wyrm in flight, filled with deep scarlet dragon blood, a hundred years old at least. After staring at the liquid for a time, she set it next to her stuffed golden dragon her mother had made when she was just a child and locked the chest up tight. With a mighty heave it was in her arms, and being escorted through the windy doorway…


	2. Embark Netptune

Awareness began to trickle away from her legs, numbness filling in its empty wake. Perched on her knees and ankles, Michiru uncomfortably looked on as the priests scuffled about in a huddle, catching only the occasional point or glance or whisper directed her way. The meeting had begun like any other, but as the orders of business were introduced, a topic of great importance was announced. They didn't read it out fully, like was custom, but in about mid-sentence the presenter's eyes scanned the lines to follow and stopped short. He called the other monks to him, and they formed a big ring of muffled exchanges. One priestess took the list from the hands of the presenter, and exclaimed in an excited whisper something like, "She still can be, its harmless!" while tapping a finger frantically against the bottom of the page. A unanimous nod of relief rippled through the group, and they once again took their seats. Pleasantly corrected, the presenter addressed Michiru with a reassuring grin, though it came up false in her eyes, and this explanation:

"As you may know from previous meetings, for us to mend the alliance between our ocean and the Palace of the Heights, a representative is being brought to us to live and learn for a half cycle, and you are our chosen emissary to return and study with them. Their council has responded much faster than we anticipated it would, and all the arrangements were finalized within the past two days. The exchange should not be overly invasive, and your studies will not be interrupted at all, until the point where you must leave, in which case books shall be made with all the notes you will need for the remainder of the cycle. The empty room next to yours will be made ready for the representative, and it will be your duty to ensure their comfort and be there should they need assistance. Go now and make ready!"

Concerned, but powerless, she bowed and accepted, and headed back to her bed quarters to change for the reception, figuring it best just to go with the current. Folding the robes neatly into her dresser, and then moving to open a richly adorned chest on the floor next to it, she lifted one of the complexly woven dresses out. She held it up briefly, shaking her head in defeat at how useless it would be to really choose, there was no choice in any other aspect of the situation and to waste the energy convincing herself otherwise was self destructive.

The long voyage to Neptune was suspiciously casual, not casual in a comfortable way by any means, but too plain and hollow to be an official business trip. One of the oldest and rattiest ships was her escort, it was leaky and vermin infested, so she wasted most of her time killing rats. When there were none left to eradicate, she took the pile she had accumulated and began slitting them open. Idly dabbing the blood in spots on the floor, she eventually developed a dragon design, and using a rope found on the floor nearby the frayed end served as a makeshift brush. She tried very hard to create a consistent texture, but the wood grain was working against her and she switched to a technique for a more rugged dragon, which worked very nicely, and by the time the ship arrived it was complete. As it was entering the planets atmosphere, Haruka spat on her hands and then wiped them clean on her pant leg.

The thick, salt-laced air froze her on the spot, and threatened to crush her body like some icy implosion. The light, sunny air was squeezed from her lungs, and unforgiving darkness took its place. Numbly, the planks of the bridge beneath her began to disappear, and the ones at the end seemed to be pulled closer. Every heartbeat seemed slower and more desperate than the last, and her flesh crawled and quivered in an attempt to regurgitate the chill. Her belongings trembled inside the chest she carried loosely before her, combined with the prickling of her skin and chattering of her skin the noise was enough to drive one insane. Through eyes that no longer seemed liquid, a figure slanted before her line of vision, a robed figure, and for a moment she contemplated attacking them and stealing the robe, but decided her blood was too cold to move that way, so the mindless wander across the frigid island continued without incident, ending anticlimactically with an eventual meander to the hooded greeting. She was then led through the empty mouth of a cave that led to the deepest hell she could ever imagine fearing…

The sea green dress pulled forward on her ankles with every step she took, and echoed across the facets of the dripping rock wall. Joining her were a handful of priests, following suit in the procession, hooded and ominous as they followed each of those steps toward the grand surface door. It was previously ajar, and the priest coming from the surface led the exchange inside with the same paced footsteps, the parties meeting exactly halfway. Michiru watched with glazen eyes a scene that would change the course of her entire life with minimal interest, observing the newcomer with empty thoughts. Finally, after several moments, she forced the world into focus and viewed the guest carefully, noting the same desperate shroud before, her eyes, the guest was indeed female, not that it really mattered, but in a way it truly did.

Curiosity began in the pit of her gut as a tremor, pulsating in crescendo until she could actually feel her heartbeat seeking a reason for being. Unknowingly, tentatively, she took a step forward, a breath, another, a beat, a third, a questioning glance. The stranger looked up, ashamed, a beat, confused, a release, begging for the fourth step. It came with the beat, and as the priest began a monotone introduction she reached out with her right hand, searching for some meaning, grasping the handle of the gilded chest with a breath, beckoning for the release that followed and the stranger moved the free hand to support her own end of the box. She followed the priestess with blind trust because she could have nothing else, as the priests mumbling faded down the dampened rock halls.

Objects make idle noises as the shift in the box against the fabric and leather, little sounds echo against the walls to match the heartbeats and bounce off each footstep. Michiru reached out with her left hand and pushed open the guest room door, causing the maids to rush out in a flurry of hushed "oh dears" and "excuse me's". The girls ignored their bustling with stone cold faces too tired to care, the priestess leading the chest to a bare spot at the foot of the futon, and the fighter lowering it to that designated spot with a robotic grace. They stood there for a handful of moments, staring at the floor and summing themselves up, and then raising their eyes to each other to compare that product. It wasn't worth much at the time, but the mutual helplessness made embarrassment futile, so they weren't.

Ruka sighed after the endless exchange of heart breaths and sigh beats, and held out her hand in greeting. She took it on impulse and the gravities melded for a few beats before giving a polite curtsy and informing the Uranian she would be just next door should she need anything at all, and taking her leave. Haruka nodded and watched her go, the hem of the long sea colored dress swaying across the stone behind her ankles…


	3. Explore Subteranean

Despite the wondrous technologies Neptune had to offer her curious senses, Haruka found herself not wanting to explore for the first time in her life. Desperately wrestling with her mind to achieve some state of interest or awareness, she came up short of feeling anything. She let her mind wander wherever it wanted to try and get it impelled to move for something, thinking about the basics for starters; eating, bathing, unpacking, none of that appealed to her. Moving on to other thoughts; exploring the subterranean halls, going back to introduce herself to the stumped priests, that beautiful girl…

She had said anything, right? Anything, including companionship and some reassurance that she wasn't as insane as she feared. They would have to grow to be close friends anyway, that's what the whole mission was about, at surface value, according to twisted policies of unkind men. But all of her wanted to find sanctuary in this newfound lady, and at least some part of her wanted to get out of that alone room. With as much grace as she could muster adjusting to the alien floor, and keeping her breathing as quiet and controlled as she could while feeding on the unknown airs, she crept ever so softly to the door and slipped it open. Standing just before her neighbors doorway, knuckles raised to knock, a sound began from within that she had never heard before. It began as a variety of tones going from low, to high, to rumbling low again, a series of vibrating moans, some of them very fluid and tender that then grew to desperate intensity as though pleading for some unseen release. It would then dip back to the deep, guttural vibrations like some meandering touch, before becoming a ragged crescendo to a high-pitched climax.

Haruka felt a flush of warmth creep up through her cheeks, and a fluster of summersaults in her lower belly, but before she could really take them into account another noise was emitted from the girl she knew was inside the room. A choked sob, and muffled halations that reminded her of her own pains. She carefully pushed open the door, and was greeted by the sight of the Neptunian priestess, whose back was to her, the folds of her dress and sea green hair rippling with the quivering of her slight frame. Without emotions hesitation, she rushed in and swept Michiru up into her arms, and effortlessly deposited her straddling her lap and crying into her shoulder. Haruka's arms were so firmly around her back, as though she would fall away. The dress was hiked up around her waist, and falling down over the fighters legs onto the floor as she sat with her knees to either side of her lap, but neither of them took much notice to their appearance. After what seemed like all time, the crying subsided, and Ruka instinctively rocked her back and forth, watching her quietly settle down, and smoothing down her wavy hair away from her face. She kissed her forehead, laid her down on the bed and pulled the covers up around her gently. Michiru didn't make a sound or move, just watching with eyes half open the motherly exchange. But as Ruka moved to leave as quietly as she had entered, she felt a delicate hand wrap around her wrist. She slowly turned and looked into the deep sea eyes that asked her to stay, beckoned her to stay forever, and as though it wasn't enough of a message, she said in a tear strained voice, "Please, don't go." She let the hand guide her back to the bed and under the covers, and around the kind waist and her head against the warm chest, and they slept in serenity.

Her eyelashes took some effort to be fluttered apart, the dried tears pulling them tight together and not letting go. After a moment she realized that she was not alone in the bed, and she was in fact being held in a very intimate manner with someone's head up on her shoulder, and arm stretched across her abdomen and cupping her right breast, she became confused. Michiru struggled to remember who it was in her bed, and the scene of the previous night flashed before her eyes. Though she thought of it slightly more innocently, a new emotion came in place of the uneasiness, shame and embarrassment. She had become so vulnerable, so easily comforted, she feared she was giving the newcomer all the wrong messages, and worse that the messages were unwanted, and they had just ended up in that position during the night. Carefully separating herself from the lassie, and sliding out of the bed, she nearly tripped on her violin; which was not put away properly after she had played it and burst into tears. Putting it ever so quietly away, and folding up the dress she had evidently worn to bed, thoughts of embarrassment turned into insecurity and what ifs. As she put on a clean tunic and slacks, she thought of what a pushover she must seem, what a disgraceful weakling and sick person she must be for forcing the poor exchange lass to bed with her. What if it was her that had moved the sandy haired girls hand over her bosom unconsciously during the night, how horrible she would feel when she woke to find the pose that she wasn't responsible for. With a final sigh she resigned that emotions were ruling her head, regardless of what they were she would push them all away, fetch them both some breakfast, apologize, and then take a long meditation period…

Her hand reached out but was greeted with empty sheets, which woke her with a start. Instantly feeling a pang of guilt that she had somehow taken advantage of the situation, and not done a sufficient job at comforting the soft spoken lassie. In her head the regrets swirled, dancing and prancing like wild pegasi, one thinking one insecurity, the other laughing the opposite. This fault, that fault, never good enough for anything, it was all she could do to keep from throwing up. Not knowing where to go, she threw off the covers and ran blindly through the hollow halls. Paintings, lights, wet rocks flying by her closed eyes, running and running until finally she collapsed to her knees. Panting and crying, she found herself alone near a room, from which there were the sounds of standing water. Having nowhere better to run, she went in quietly, planning to sprint back out again if it turned out to be inhabited. Within the dimly lit cave there were many intricately carved pools of water, being fed one droplet at a time by stalactites pulled down from the ceiling, as though by the very cores gravity. Just as all seems to be pulled to the rock bottom, stalagmites raised towards the sky have been carved into statues of goddesses and water beings, constantly being altered by the dripping elements. As she listened to the water's movement, she pictured all of her doubts being balled up in a drop of rain, and as it fell into the pool below the pains dissipated within the bigger joy. Setting aside her embarrassment at acting so childish, she traced her way back through the corridor, and managed to make it back to her room. With a sigh she decided to finally unpack her things, and as she got herself situated quiet footsteps in the hall told her that the priestess was coming back, and she quickly sketched out an apology and set of excuses in her head. But as she caught sight of the lass through the half open door, all of those thoughts were strewn away. She knocked lightly, and it took Ruka a moment to register that she should invite her in. "I'm terribly sorry about last night, I didn't mean to make you so uncomfortable when we barely know each other. My name is Michiru, and I am a priestess here, as I'm sure you have already gathered, I brought you some breakfast, forgive me for not feeding you yesterday, it was awfully selfish of me…" She said in a guilty tone, and set the tray on a carved marble table against the wall. Haruka wasn't sure if she should be more disappointed that the lady was sorry, or alienated by her taking all of the blame. "There's nothing to forgive, I wasn't really hungry… And it wasn't selfish at all, we all have our moments, I'm Haruka." Michiru was looking down, refusing to meet her eyes as though humility would somehow remedy her feelings, and Haruka being an instinctive creature, slid off the bed where she sat and went over to her, lifting her chin up to meet her. Their eyes locked, and during that moment Michiru rediscovered the mutual helplessness that had lessened the tensions the day before, and tried to take comfort in the fact that the playing field was just as even as she thought it to be. She did her best to smile and loosen up, but there was still a discomfort that she couldn't quite place. As the fighter moved her hand away, she began to feel it worse, but tried to shrug it off. "Ill let you eat and get comfortable, just let me know when you figure out what you would like to do today…" "No, I mean, would you like to eat with me? That way we could talk it over, if you like." She turned back and simply smiled, and nodded in agreement. "That would be lovely."

Haruka did her very best; she really did, to focus on the priestess while pretending to enjoy the strange Neptune cuisine. She hadn't eaten much fish on her home planet, mostly birds and mountain game, and as for everything else other than grains and vegetables forget it! Assorted on the plate were various fruits and tubers, and there were no eggs, just what seemed to be potatoes with very odd seasonings, presumably sea salts and aquatic herbs of some kind. There was very strong tea to drink, and some kind of soymilk as well. "So, what kinds of things do you do for fun here?" She asked, desperately trying to evade attention from how much was left of her food. "Well, I spend nearly all of my time studying, but in my free time, I like to swim, and paint, and in the summer its fun to roam the beaches all day long collecting things that wash up, its just the end of spring now which is a really rainy and ugly outside, but once it clears its warm and calm for most of the season. Hm, what else for fun, well finding gemstones is fun sometimes, but if you do it for long enough they don't shimmer quite the same, and I sometimes practicing cooking, even though that's not my job it can be quite satisfying. Oh! I know just what we could do, I could take you to our Aquariums!" "Well that sounds like a plan! Maybe we could see the Aquariums, and then cook lunch together and plan what to do with the evening?" "It's settled! You may want to grab a cloak; some of the tank rooms have to be kept quiet cool, but it's worth it to see them. I'm not sure that we could get through the entire thing by lunch time, but since we have half a years flexibility, there's no need to rush!"

As they set out on the long journey through the tunnels to the Aquariums,

Haruka's thoughts wandered to that fact she had brought up again. Half a years stay in this strange place, not that her own treacherous home was any better, but there was something very unsettling about the unfamiliar noises echoing all around her, making her fighters reflexes jittery and spastic. Trying to calm herself down, she looked over at Michiru, whose peaceful complexion always seemed to bring her back to the lulling gravity of the watery world. It was obvious she had been born in tune with it, Haruka had been around air ships all her life but she imagined they must be nothing like the ships that traveled this world. Airsickness made one feel empty, but seasickness it seemed made you overwhelmingly full. She equated it with their dispositions, her so lacking emotion and cause, and Michiru so full of life and faith. Maybe her stay here could help her fill that gap in her heart, she thought to herself as she unconsciously matched her footsteps to those of her companion. Little did she know, that Michiru had actually been trying to match her steps to hers…

"Here we are, the great entrance of the ancient Aquariums, one of the first marvels of this city, it began with the capture of a rare seahorse that was coveted and protected in the very first tank, but his captor wanted so much more. He collected samples of every fish known to my people, and slowly that knowledge grew and expanded to nearly every creature that could be in the ocean. That seahorse survived by the magick of the priests until the day I was born, and so I was said to be the incarnate of their most sacred beast, and I was taught the ways of priestess hood from the very beginning. It did have offspring though, after another like it was found, and their generations have been preserved, and as I grew up I watched them." She began the "tour" of sorts with the first exhibit, the cherished seahorses. The label beneath the tank read "Starbrowed Seahorse", and as she looked into the blue-lit tank she saw a herd of them, each having a jewel like mark on their foreheads, and beautiful fins that flowed behind them like plumage. She looked at all the details put into the tank, the runes inscribed to the right of the tank, the bubbles swirling and dancing in the indigo shadows, the rocks and jewels that lined the bed of the large container that reflected the same ghostly light. The room itself was very dimly lit, only the colored light from each cage poured out onto the floor, with a few scattered lantern gems to direct them into the other rooms. The creatures mystified Haruka, she had never seen anything besides mammals and dragons, and the fluid motion that each one presented so uniquely fascinated her. Though there was a distinct breed standard, each one seemed to stand out against the next as an individual entity, and she could almost feel the slick water as each one dipped and dove through the illuminated liquid. They passed jellyfish, and manta rays, eels, crustaceans, fish of all sizes and shapes, and the sharks, which left the greatest impression on her. As they moved into what would have been the third room, though she was far too engrossed to notice, there were much bigger tanks, not that the others weren't already a grand size, but this room could only contain one of these on each side. At first, Haruka was drawn to the orange gold toned light, but saw nothing in the great expanse of water, but out of the corner of her eye she caught movement. She tried to track it, but a smaller feeder fish moved in front of the glass before her and distracted her. Trying to go back and catch it again came up fruitless, but as she gave up and turned her head back to the feeder a huge set of teeth came crashing down before her eyes. She yelped and flung herself away from the cage as the shark swallowed the half of a fish and swooped around to snatch the other. Michiru came up and held her from behind, and she noticed the lassie shaking violently in her arms, eyes wide as she watched the golden hue bounce off the ragged fins and crystal sharp teeth, and flicker in and out of its monstrous eyes. She finally turned away as it went back, only to be greeted on the opposite side with a troop of pointy barracudas, which were about the same size as the shark, only much sharper and limited. The priestess took her by the hand and tried to comfort her by leading her away, and into a room of luminous fish that glowed their own colors, but her heart was still beating a million miles an hour. "Dd ddo those, those shark, things, are they in the water where you play in the summer time?" She asked very anxiously. "They live in very deep water, there's nothing to worry about! I'm sorry I didn't warn you, I've grown so used to them not, no, it's very rare that anyone is attacked by one, they keep to themselves, far, far from the beech." She replied in a calming tone, and her voice had an instant effect on Ruka's disposition. "That's good…"

By the time they had gotten to the sea turtle exhibits, the growling of their stomachs was bouncing off the rock and glass, and they decided to hit the kitchen. They had to pass through some of the colder rooms, and when Haruka began to shiver, Michi wrapped her arms around her in a friendly gesture, which warmed her up more than it normally would have. One of the private kitchens was conveniently close by to the Aquarium, and they passed a few people in the hall who had just eaten and were chattering about a whole spectrum of odd topics. It reminded Haruka of the busy streets of her hometown, only a lot cleaner language… The kitchen already smelled of oils and salts, and fish of some kind or another. After seeing the exhibits, she wasn't so sure she could prepare a fish, but since Michiru obviously got along just fine she did the best she could to follow along with her and the odd recipes. Though she struggled with some of the techniques for preparing the various fishes, the end result was a sashimi type dish, which she found very agreeable, and Michi seemed pleased with the company. They talked about odd bits of Neptunian life, and when they had finished it was decided that they would go swimming…


	4. Aqua Transcription

Gravity, they say, has the least effect on you when you are in the water, but on the contrary the water itself is another gravity altogether. There's the gravity you feel when your crashing to the ground, there's the gravity between yourself and another being, and then there is the gravity of water that pulls and pushes you from all facets and dimensions. But when you combine all three types of gravity, you are presented with a unique distribution of stress.

Swimming, was something she had done plenty of where the rainwater had collected in basins cut into the mountains, and was always much less of a challenge than riding dragons or practicing swordplay, but either because of the exposed state she wasn't used to sharing with another person, or that other persons adept state of manipulating the media she had only scratched the surface of, she was terribly uneasy. The pool seemed to move in whatever rhythm it felt like as she kicked out in a sloppy attempt to tread water. Beneath her calves and knees she could feel it forming scattered currents, and she tried with great effort to control it and stay afloat, but she remained bobbing up and down like some carcass in the tide. All the while she was watching Michiru glide so effortlessly under the surface, staying down for far longer than she thought was possible for a human, and then coming up relaxed and refreshed like it was no exertion.

But though Haruka was mentally kicking herself for seeming so inadequate, what really put her in an uncomfortable state was the way watching the fluid movements of her companion made her FEEL. She took a few deep breaths and did all she could to shake it off before diving down into the silver lit water in an effort to redeem herself. The shallowest water was about waist high, and it was illuminated white, and as it got deeper it turned into silvery grey, at about neck height it started to shade blue until all the way down at the deepest point there was a murky indigo. In its entirety, the pool was about the size of a standard dragon cave, but Michiru had told her that the caverns were littered with dozens of large pools, some five times the size of this one, and much deeper. There were also many spring rooms and onsens, where subterranean plants grew along the waters edge, and over decorative stones, and she said those were getting so numerous there were nearly three to every inhabitant because they were such a pleasure to design. The grandest of these was sculpted for the priests, and took up a large chamber near the series of shrines. She promised they would go there very soon, and Haruka was beginning to feel that she would much rather take comfort in the shallow spas than attempt to navigate the perilous depths of the natatorium.

Her valiant struggles had led her to the blue zone, and her heart was beating a hundred miles a minute as she floundered to stay afloat. As Michiru emerged from another prolonged warm up dive, she became instantly aware of the fighters situation and slid under the surface quickly toward her. In an instant Haruka felt a steady pair of arms strung around her frantic midsection, and though she let out a breath of relief and clung fast to her rescuer, the contact secretly sent her guts in spin. The water sloshed up against their bare skin, and beneath the surface the slippery catalyst was making every pore of her hindquarters prickle where the smooth forearm was holding beneath and willing her quivering thighs to grasp the nearest support. Support came in the form of Michiru's hips, and she allowed her to hold on for dear life for a fraction of a moment, before using her legs and free arm to maneuver them off to the side. "Haruka, Haruka are you alright? Speak to me, can you breath?" she inquired frantically, scarcely aware of their position and the effect it was having on her friend. "I'm fine, don't worry, I just haven't done this in a long time, and I drifted to where the water was too deep." Michiru gave her a look of the purest disbelief, as if there was no way in the world she could have just been having an awkward time of it and was somehow perfectly alright, all of her maternal instincts were on fire with distrust and worry, though to Haruka she was showing only half of the anxiety that she felt. "Shh, its fine! I didn't even swallow anything, promise, no worries!" But before she could glare further, a small group of kids came in to use the facility, and she became immediately aware of their appearance. She helped her flustered companion up onto the floor, and in observing her obvious tint she became conscious of the growing warmth in her own cheeks. Though she was unable to pinpoint the source of the occurrence, she took Haruka by the hand and led her to a nearby hot spring where the blush would be less noticeable…

Her reasoning was however flawed, and upon contact with the water it became quite obvious that the mountain girl was not used to such extremity of temperature. She let out the most curious squeal, Michiru thought to herself while seating herself against a carved rock seat. It occurred to her that normal Neptunian squeals were far more, melodic than the one she was observing, and she smiled quite amused with her thoughts. Haruka, on the other hand, was not amused. She did her best to ease into the steaming water and not make a fool of herself, observing Michi's bemused expression, and the smooth green toned rock that lined the comfortably shallow onsen. It adorned the walls, and was carved into statuettes of fishes in some places, and looked even more alight as the water was illuminated with a golden wash. Just as she had calmed herself into one of the carved seats, her eyes fell once again on her beautiful companion, and all the resolve she had piled up crumpled. In the maize light her hair seemed to perk up with a greener tint, sparkling more like seaweed than an oceans surface, and making her entire complexion look even more playful and unpredictable.

Naturally, she lived up to this expectation and began to move toward her with an air of chaotic tendency. In reality, she was merely moving to sit closer and strike up a conversation, but Haruka had no way of knowing what was going on as she found herself lost her now emerald eyes and gold tinged smirk. She could feel her muscles tense up a bit, even in the relaxing heat, it was now acting more like a stimulant. The mystifying effect of the crystals was taking hold as Michiru sat beside her, and appeared in the light to be mischievous despite her innocent intent, yet her eyes too were feeling the hypnosis of the yellow rays. Haruka's short hair was sparkling like pyrite, and her eyes seemed lit from within with molten amber. Though she was blushing furiously the glow of the water was covering it up and smoothing it over like she was proud of whatever rogue thoughts were twinkling behind her pixie-like eyes, and all of the sudden Michiru found herself very much wanting to know all about those thoughts.

Before even time could object, the priestess found herself crawling onto Haruka's lap and slinking her arms slyly around her neck, making her let out another amusing sound before capturing her lips. The cornered lass had no other choice or desire but to clutch the trembling waist, digging her thumb tips lightly in circles and trying to fall in with the frantic rhythm they were trying to assert. She could feel her own chest tighten as Michiru's breasts grated against hers, accompanied by the ever present rustling of water and groans rumbling from deep inside her gut. The hands that had once been grasping her shoulders so tightly were now roaming freely down her back and around to her abdomen, sending bolts of excitement to the groin they were closing in so dangerously near. And all at once, she jerked violently backwards with wide eyes and neck swerving in apologetic disbelief at the bewildered and bothered blonde.

"So..so sorry, that was so wrong of me, I'm so sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, I never meant to put you in such a position, oh what on Neptune was I doing to you! Please forgive me I had no intention of making you so uncomfortable, you should have told me I was hurting you… The water must have given me a fever spell…" There was nothing she could do or say, so phased by the moment and drowned with the excuses, she didn't get a chance to respond to any of them before the priestess flipping out with apologies on the way back to their rooms. They exchanged lop sided goodnights, and Haruka was alone before she could question. After blinking in the doorway for a solid three minutes, she closed her eyes and a knowing smile crept across her face. No rush, she had half a year to fix those fleeting doubts, and all the inclination in the world to do so.

Sea colored eyes were strained and frustrated with a hot crankiness that began at the very back of the socket and bitched all the way to the front. She hadn't slept well, in fact she had barely slept at all considering the vast amount of time she had spent scolding and chastising herself in the night for what could only have been the devils temptation. The priestess had always been most comfortable when being held responsible, when there was a logical excuse for everything and it was her, because that was something she could always pretend to be able to control next time. But, she feared, that when she was around that lass there was just no controlling her emotions. She had tried meditation, but always came up distracted, tried mantras and excuses but by morning she had decided to write Haruka a note saying that she had religious study to attend to today, and leave some directions for how to spend her time alone. Though, she wasn't quite sure what to have her do, and she was trying her best to create a great deal of distance without coming off as incredibly rude.

So, she tore a sheet of seaweed paper out of a tablet and scribed some raw instructions for how to get to a shallow practice pool, and wrote a brief note about how she should try and get some solid practice time in while she was away, and then they could have a nice dinner together later on. Though, Michiru wasn't sure she would be collected enough to take on another encounter, it would just have to be enough time at the temple to clear her thoughts. Quiet as a swimming fish, she snuck into some loose robes and grabbed a few crystals off of her night tray, and dripped some stray candle wax onto the back of her note to adhere it to Haruka's door. Then she was off into the shadows of the droplet dusted halls, hems dragging tiny sounds against the dampened floor…

Golden eyes bobbed lazily into focus on the ever-burning serpent oil in the hearth, and it took them several moments to register that it wasn't the fire she was used to. After a minute or so, she came to terms with just where she was, and resealed her eyes for a few moments before smiling and rolling out of bed. The familiar smells of canyon sulfur and dragon breath greeted her on her hazel colored tunic, which was just long enough for her not to need pants. She tied it round the waist with some worn cord, which looked decent despite the tremendous usage, and put an amber charm about her neck to be fancy. From the bottom of her chest she fetched her house sandals, which were woven from a durable straw like material, and also had obvious signs of wear, but she looked put together, and trotted confidently out the door with the intent of pouncing on Michiru, but as she closed her own door behind her a piece of greenish parchment fluttered to the ground. Brows knitted as she held it up to read, she found that her companion would not be accompanying her today, and she wouldn't get a chance to patch up yesterdays hoohah until late this evening. What made it even more of a turn off, is she had been advised to "brush up on her swimming techniques" in the kiddie pool, the directions were scrawled out neatly in black ink.

So, having no other alternative at that point, she followed the notes down the corridor a ways, until she came to the shallower practice pool. It was not quite the same size as the one she had gotten lost in yesterday, but there were no children occupying it yet. The water was a nice neutral fleshy tone that shaded into red at the deep end, which was only a little over her head, and so she shrugged and lifted the tunic over her head. Tossing it carelessly into a heap against the eastern wall, along with her belt and sandals, she took a deep breath before diving into the red zone in only her amulet. It was considerably easier for her to manipulate the liquid in this situation, no gorgeous distractions or sprawling areas to get lost in, and she was building a decent pace. Front stroke, backstroke, butterfly stroke, diving, all over the place she found herself swimming with considerable ease, and even when a gaggle of little kids came splashing into the shallow end she was unaffiliated. So much so, the actions became downright boring.

Her pristine concentrations and focus were giving way to thoughts of arrogance, and wishes that Michiru were here to see just how capable she was, and those swiftly deteriorated to thoughts of Michiru. Thoughts of how soft her skin was as she sabotaged her senses yesterday in the onsen, thoughts of just how she would get back at her for that in vivid detail, and while on this chain of images she accidentally inhaled some of the pools contents, and decided to take this somewhere else. The kids were giggling a little, one of them was a little girl with striking green eyes and curled up brown locks, another was a boy with glittering blue and dusty blonde hair a completely different tone than Haru's, and the third was a mysterious little grey eyed lassie with straight long hair somewhere between sienna and sunlight, and the most alluring disposition Haruka had ever observed. She smiled unconsciously while she watched them play and got herself dressed again, heard their melodic laughter that was somehow different than how children sounded back home. They were a lot older while being so much more innocent, without the hardening of the streets or ignorance of abandonment, though there were no elders with them now, it wasn't quite the same roaming as was so common in the mountain empire.

They weren't so extreme to one another, and the commonality of their attitudes was unmistakable, they hadn't seen the cruelties of the rich unto the unfortunate, or the stinginess of those who think every step will be their last and everyone should get the hell out of the way so they can walk however they choose. They hadn't the lines of worry or the scars of grief, not like the street could do to a youth, not like orphanhood could do to someone, did do to Haruka. But she could hardly complain, she did have a big upper hand in her own society, but she could still differentiate between her home kids and these mellow youths. They looked at each other so levelly it was alien; they played in the nude as though their families had nothing to be ashamed of, as if there really was nothing to hide behind their eyes. Save for the grey one, she was hiding something far more than shame or fear, though Ruka couldn't quite see what unknown truth was humming there, she knew that the playing fields were as level as the ocean save for that grey eyed knowledge.

There were always people like that, though children seemed more precious, that had that sparkle of insight behind their smiles and dancing in their auras some shimmering plane that nobody else could see but them. And though Michiru was a hardened priestess, Haruka hadn't been able to see that spark yet, the one that told you she was a holy being beyond what you could grasp, and that inspired her curiosity to fulfill that question right then and there. The question of just what Michiru practiced, just how her being sparkled more magically, and how beautiful it must be for her to be recognized and taken for what she truly is. It is a rare beast that is taken for its true form, and there are many beasts that possess that advanced state of awareness, but it takes an honestly skilled person to appreciate what can be seen of one who really knows what they are. And Haruka is one of those gifted few, who were chosen to protect those with the sacred flame…

Footsteps in the deeper part of the colony told Haruka where an unknowing guide could be found, and after wandering amongst the Neptune populous she chanced upon a robed figure who might take her where curiosity beckoned. Though around her the hustle and bustle was too fascinating, and she found her sensed being assaulted with wild sounds and sights very much like and unlike the ruckus of a bazaar. There were vendors of all sorts of fabulous items, crystals and divinations in all different forms, balls and gemstones with inviting facets, crystal goblets for pegomancy and beautifully crafted reading cards. All the artists were out on display, beyond Haruka's knowledge, it was a Thursday, and each Thursday a grand artisan faire is set up here in the large plaza she had stumbled into at the centermost point in the colony. Stands with draping runners and cloths featured tarot, and runes decorated every surface imaginable, stones and carvings and talismans all embellished to the hilt with precious things, crafting of garments and wares for all sorts of occasions, utensils for prayer and for cooking, mixing and matching the events into so many objects.

Baubles and trinkets were out on indigo dyed mats, shells and dried fish commodities like scales and teeth adorning each merchants spread, she moved along the rows and kept a close eye on her leader she neared the herbs and nonperishables, a wide selection of teas and powders for just about any ailment. Embroidered sachets with sweet smelling grasses and weeds from the seaside, and bottles of precious fluids and oils in a wild frenzy of colors and textures, some drained from fish and some juiced from reeds. Some of the vendors were old fisherman, some were fathers aided by their nearest sons to learn the family trade, and a large band of what would be like gypsies back home was clustered around a set of booths with elaborate ribbons and crystal lighting, laughing and dancing with strange instruments. Peeking over and making sure the priest she was tailing would stay within eyes reach, she sashayed over to the circle of splendid color, and began to examine the amazing instruments. Bells for ankles and wrists and necks, tiny symbols that the lovely green eyed lady running the shift told her were called castanets, sets of hide covered drums and flutes of all shapes an designs.

Before she could try out one of the pipes that caught her interest, a round of great laughter rippled through the crowd of merry men and women, and she couldn't help but smile as they shouted up a cheer and began a loose dance with the castanets, and a steady but varied drum chorus. The well-built lady behind the table smiled wide as well, and when she looked over at Haruka she knew just what to do. "Come on then lass, join us for a spell! You look made for dancing!" And with that the woman took her by the wrist and playfully led her into the circle, demonstrating the basic steps a couple times before cheering and joining in herself. Haruka tried her hardest to catch on to the steps, and a skinny lady with hair tied back that hung down to her waist and a silver circlet about her brow put an arm about her midback and helped her move into the rhythm. They danced side by side like that for a while, Haru studying closely the patterns she was showed, and eventually the lady nodded and smiled in agreement. She had reminded Haruka a lot of the little girl with the misty grey eyes, and as she moved off into the crowd as naturally as she had appeared she was left with an odd feeling of ease and belonging. Dancing on her own was becoming increasingly comfortable, and by the time the song was ending she had tested out some moves of her own and had a fair number of people watching her.

"Say now lady, your not native here are ye?" Asked a grey bearded man with winding tribal tattoo work and a pleasant grin that went all the way up to his temples.

"No kind sir, I've come on a diplomatic mission from Uranus."

"Well Ill be, a mistress from the sky castles! How exciting it is to have such a new face in our midst! How long will ye be among us?"

"My stay will be for six moon cycles." Said Haruka matter of factly, but there was a genuine appreciation for the opportunity the time presented among such fascinating people, she was beginning to love the gypsies very much already.

"Hail sweet lassie, that's wondrous news, welcome welcome a hundred times over! My name es Keldon, and this be the Aukwefox troop. That over there is Agraynel, my lady whom you've already danced with, and about me are Cauri, Brennan, Donny, and Kris, to name a few, I'm sure over the course of your extended stay you will get the chance to know us more closely." The individuals he mentioned all bowed their heads in turn, bells rustling slightly as the troop gathered around Haruka with care. Despite the bright representation of every value on the spectrum, the fabrics seemed to blend harmoniously in a common shade that negated all pastel. They tended to be clad in more mature tones and Haruka noted that it gave them an almost ageless quality when contrasted with one another.

"I would like that very much Keldon, my name is Haruka Tennoh, and I'm awfully sorry but you see, I'm trying to see what Michi has ditched me for the day in favor of, do you happen to know the way to the prayer chambers?"

"Aye, the colony is littered with chambers both public and private, but you must be referring to the great shrines that take up a level all there own for the priests and lady priests. Tis a beautiful thing to see, though it makes me sad that they must restrain themselves so unnaturally to do the work they do. We often send scouts there to snag a holy before they retire, and treat them to a night of festivity to ease their toil, and nobody has objected thus far, seems to be doin some good to those crotchy old shamans! Why last week we caught three of em by surprise, and got them to dance the river dance with us, quite a sight I must tell you." He said with a jovial glint in his eye. "Right then, yes milady we can take you there no problem at all, but you must promise me something."

"What's that?"

"That the next chance you get, come visit us in the main encampment to the west of this plaza, see that main tunnel leading out of here to our left? Just follow that down till your ears pop just once, and then look for a large echoing hollow through a small pass in the left wall, and you will be greeted by the jingling of bells and beating of gay drums! Our music never sleeps, and I can assure you it would be very difficult not to find us by following that sound. Is that a deal young miss?" Haruka stretched her neck up to peer over the crowd in the direction he had indicated, and saw the large entryway.

"You bet, Ill see if Michiru will come too and Ill help you dance the priestly stiffness out of her!" She said with an air of newfound confidence, as though that was exactly the action she should take in her quest to coax Michiru out of her over responsibility and oppression of her emotions. A round of cheers went through the crowd of good spirits, and Keldon picked a couple others to go with them to the temples, and they melded into the sea of civilians where each was severed from the gypsy standard and appeared like shadows in the throng…


End file.
